Part 1: Morpheus

Author's Notes: This is the first chapter of my longest story yet. The first half is around 45k words. I'm estimating 85k by completion.

"Dreams are often most profound when they seem the most crazy." - Sigmund Freud

Old Warehouse; Cardiff, Wales

Saturday, April 19, 2020

Gwen Cooper suspected Jack sent her to investigate knowing it was a hoax. A group of teenagers created a robotic alien as a science project. Out of anger, jealousy or general stupidity, they released it and crashed a rave. By the time the police arrived, the drunk and/or high crowd had stampeded. Numerous injuries resulted. The rave sponsors intentionally disabled CCTV around the warehouse. Finding all of the injured took a lot of constables. Gwen wasted three hours tracking the teenagers and their fake alien. After resolving the fake threat, and getting robot schematics for Luc, she was debating how to pay Jack back.

"Let me drive you," Andy Davidson said. "It's dark. The neighborhood is bad."

Gwen reminded herself that Andy knew she could handle herself. Her old partner was simply being kind. "Thanks." She smiled. "I don't mind the walk."

The spring night was warm and quiet. After the rave chaos, Gwen figured anyone who wanted to avoid law enforcement had relocated. The only movement near the deserted commercial buildings was a dog across the street. It moved oddly, sniffing the air and looking around. Before Gwen could decide if she needed to call in about a strange animal, she heard a sound. The faint, muffled thumping made the hairs on her arms stand up. She tapped her ear com while looking around.

"Have fun?" Jack sounded amused.

"I am blocks from the rave. Where are you?"

"The pub with Ianto." The humor faded.

Another, similar noise caught her attention. It sounded human. The type of muffled sounds a person might make if they were restrained. "Get here. Now."

She switched on her six-cell Maglite and started checking the doors and windows of the nearest building. The glass was filthy and cracked. A temporary patch was years old. The adjacent alley had a rusting dumpster, piles of liter and smelled like old chemicals.

The dog barked an eerie sound. Gwen turned as a man approached quietly on the sidewalk. He had a look in his eyes. It reminded her of a human cannibal she dealt with during her first year with Torchwood. She didn't have time to draw her gun before he grabbed for her. She kicked, aiming for his knee. He dodged her foot and slammed her into the wall. She slammed her Maglite into his side. When he lost his grip, she kneed him in the groin. When he leaned forward from impact, she brought the heavy torch down on his back, and he went down.

With left over zip ties from chasing freaked out ravers, she restrained him. Then she reached for her mobile. Jack would get there as soon as he could. Andy was probably closer. The man needed a police escort to the A&E. She highly doubted attacking her was the worst of his offenses.

"Everything all right?" Andy asked.

"No. I'm good. But a man attacked me. He needs an ambulance."

"Where are you?"

"A couple blocks from the rave. I parked behind the original barricade, and haven't reached my car. I was trying to figure out a sound when he attacked. Can you find a few constables?"

"Yeah. What sound?"

The fist on glass was easily identifiable. "There is at least one person trapped in this building. When I walked by, I heard thumping. He or she is now hitting a window."

"Put your back to a wall. Give me five minutes."

Gwen couldn't help but think of all that had changed since she met Andy Davidson. The situation would have surprised her then. Now she was simply relieved it wasn't a Weevil, Hoix or worse. A human with bad intentions she could easily manage by herself.

Good to his word, the constables arrived in less than five minutes. A search of the immediate areas was quickly under way. Jack and Ianto arrived about the same time as the first ambulance. The senior constable was on the phone with the station about legal access to the building when the woman broke the glass she'd previously pounding on. Andy had thought to ask for two ambulances and the second one arrived as the constables secured the building.

"Are you all right?" Ianto asked quietly as Jack spoke to Andy.

"Yeah."

"Is this case ours?"

"No." Gwen wondered about the dog.

Jack walked over after a longer than expected conversation. More constables arrived. Which suggested there was more to the case than she already knew. With a suspect in custody, and the victim safe, they didn't need more people. She could see changing people out after the long rave search. But no one was preparing to leave.

"What happened?" Gwen asked.

Jack set a hand on her shoulder. "One of the constables has a brother at Scotland Yard. He recognized very specific details from his brother's last rant. They got close to a multiple murderer and the case went cold."

Gwen exhaled sharply. "He relocated to Cardiff."

"There are three missing women from this area," Ianto said. "I checked in the car."

"It's not our case," Jack emphasized. "Time to go home."


Icelus joined his brothers waiting in an alley away from the growing crowd of humans. The dog transformed into a man. The animal form made being perceived by humans in the mortal world easier. Relying on the humans to find, rescue or protect the dreamers angered him.

"Is Mari safe?" Morpheus worried. His brother loved the young woman. She didn't fear his true form. A rarity among even enlightened humans.

"Yes. The police have Pierro in custody," Icelus replied.

Morpheus nodded. "When they remove his protection, I will deal with him."

"How do we repay the woman?" Phantasos asked. "She did not have to help Mari."

Icelus assured, "We will find a way."

"She has a strong mind," Morpheus commented. "A friend in law enforcement would help."

Icelus agreed. Being able to contact someone directly with information would help protect their power source. Their enemies didn't understand what they were facing. They used devices to shield their minds from their victims' abilities. The woman wanted to protect other people and did not have their limitations. She would be very useful.